For spectators enjoying the Games for prolonged periods, watching the events amid cold weather and the loud roaring of cheers could potentially cause problems for their ears.

Experts say that protecting your ears and hearing during major sporting events is critical.

“There aren’t any great studies that show that you have worsened hearing if you’ve been in the cold for a long period of time, but you definitely will notice that your ears are more sensitive to the cold weather,” said Alicia Spoor, president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology.

Two spectators wear the South Korean national flag as they wait for the start of the men's 10,000 meters speed skating race at the Gangneung Oval at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

"Because of that sensitivity, a lot of people will say they don’t feel like they’re hearing as well, since the cold will affect the ear’s cartilage,” Spoor said.

Ears have heightened sensitivity compared to other body parts due to the single layer of skin inside the ear canal, as opposed to the four layers that typically cover the rest of the body, Spoor added.

Cold weather exposure can also pose the risk of the rarely occurring exostosis, which is more commonly known as swimmer’s or surfer’s ear, according to the Tennessee-based Shea Ear Clinic.

Exostosis occurs when abnormal bone growth within the ear canal develops and blocks the eardrum following frequent exposure to cold, wet and windy conditions.

Once you get beyond 80 decibels, we start thinking it’s a dangerous level, but it [depends on] how much time you’re exposed to that and the duration of the signal,” Clark said.

Hearing threats can impact athletes as well, but it depends on the type of sport, noise level, and where the noise is located, according to Annette Mazevski, AuD, PhD, manager of technology assessment at hearing solutions company Oticon.

“If you have an athlete competing in the biathlon, which involves shooting a rifle, the risk of hearing damage can be significant,” Mazevski said.

“OSHA says that you should not be in a 100-decibel environment for more 15 minutes, because it poses such a risk to your hearing, and you shouldn’t be in an environment that has more than 110 decibels for more than one minute,” Spoor said.

According to Clark, some individuals are predisposed to genetic and health factors, including diabetes and renal issues, that increase the risk of hearing loss in addition to the threat posed by external elements.

NRR is unit of measurement used to determine the effectiveness of hearing protection devices to decrease sound exposure within a specific environment.

Audiologists agree that a rule of thumb to consider is that if it’s hard to hold a conversation or difficult to hear what someone says from 3 feet away, the environment is likely too loud to be healthy.

Following far-reaching snowstorms from November and early December, a lack of Arctic air will generally limit the chances of a white Christmas to the northern tier states and the mountains of the West for Dec. 25, 2018.

Following far-reaching snowstorms from November and early December, a lack of Arctic air will generally limit the chances of a white Christmas to the northern tier states and the mountains of the West for Dec. 25, 2018.